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Tasting notes from a Burgundy tasting - Saturday, July 9, 2005, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty wines were poured for a tasting fee of $39.

Overall impressions: as I recall, Winex hadn't put on a Burgundy tasting in a long time. In fact, the store doesn't seem to heavy into Burgundy anyway. No matter, this tasting afforded me the chance to taste a nice cross section of red and white Burgs, as well as sampling a few different producers. The tasting started off with 6 white Burgundies, and progressed to the 13 reds, more of less ordered by their intensity and price structure.

I have to admit some surprise at my final preferences. I've always loved the wines of Gevrey Chambertin, and expected the two in the tasting to rise to the occasion. But, the Corton Grand Cru, Vosne Romanee and Musigny wines won out as my favorites. There was lots to like here, and not all of it will cost you an arm and a leg. Disappointments? Only that we didn't start with the 1993 Vosne Romanee as the first of the reds.

Tasting Notes

2002 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes. $23.99. Very light lemon color. Light lemony aroma, along with that minerally-wet rock kind of thing in the nose. Crisp on the palate, nice light fruity flavors - refreshing and dry, very nice balance and medium-long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2004 Dom. Hubert Chavy Bourgogne Les Femelottes. $15.99. Almost clear in color. Much more fruit apparent in the nose than the Chablis, with additional notes of espresso and toast. Off-sweet mouthfeel, quite thick on the palate, with very nice balance. Interestingly, the flavors seemed to fade off a bit quicker than the Chablis, though the aftertaste lingered longer.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Moillard Pouilly Fuisse Domaine Greffet. $17.99. Light lemon color. Lots of citrusy fruit and minerals in the nose. Somewhat tart in mouthfeel, almost chewy in body with lots of fruit throughout, very nice balance and finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Jean-Marc Morey St. Aubin 1er Cru Les Charmois. $29.99. Nearly clear in color. Fascinating smokey background aromas in the nose - sort of a charred sweet hardwood, savory fruit and a nice mineral note. Somewhat smokey in taste, chewy body with lots of wet-stone mineral and bitteroot flavors, and a nice crispness to its lingering finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2000 Dom. Caillot Meursault Clos du Cromin. $29.99. Light lemon color. Nose of light citrusy notes, hazelnuts, wet stone and minerals, and a nice background aroma of espress and toast. Very nice balance, light sweet-sour lemon fruit, with just a touch of pineapple.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Dom. Darviot-Perrin Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres. $69.99. Very light lemon color. Bright, somewhat high-toned nose of lemon, lime, tart apple, and a touch of espresso. Lightly tart in mouthfeel, with lots of crisp citrusy flavors, and a very long lingering finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2003 Arnoux Père et Fils Savigny-lès-Beaune. $22.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cherry. A bit monolithic in mouthfeel, very pleasant flavor, but not much going on here. Very good balance and moderately long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Dom. Moillard Beaune 1er Cru Grèves. $29.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Lots of cherry and floral aromas in the nose, quite perfumy, with additional notes of toast and scented candle wax. Fleshy off-sweet mouthfeel, distinctive floral quality to the wild cherry fruit, nice long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2003 Dom. Joblot Givry 1er Cru Clos de la Servoisine. $38.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of dark cherry, cinnamon toast, and light apple scent. Very fleshy in mouthfeel, with lots of bing cherry and cranberry flavors. Beautiful balance - just to the acid side of the spectrum, but with plent of fruit to match, and a long lingering finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 Bertrand Ambroise Corton Grand Cru Le Rognet. $99.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of cherry cheesecake, with touches of earth and grilled ciabatta. Off-sweet mouthfeel, with chewy textures and a full rich mid-palate. Nicely melded flavors of bing and black cherry, as well as touches of steak tartare, and portobello mushroom. This is dinner and dessert, and I was wishing the price were a misprint. Very seductive!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2003 Geantet-Pansiot Bourgogne Pinot Fin. $19.99. Medium dark ruby color. Somewhat pungent initially, but there's lots of floral-perfumy aromas down deep, accented by lightly charred toast. Fleshy and meaty in mouthfeel, but it seems a little underfruited by mid-palate, and this dissipates a little further by the finish. Nice balance, and a pleasant wine.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B Overall score: B+

2002 Dom. Charles Audoin Marsannay Les Favieres. $19.99. Light ruby garnet color. Nose of sweet ripe black cherry, with a hint of strawberry. Less sweet in mouthfeel, with lots of meaty flavors, nice acids/good balance. Sweetens up a bit in the latter palate, and through the moderately long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

My Favorites - In Order of Preference

2002 Bertrand Ambroise Corton Grand Cru Le Rognet. $99.99.
2003 Dom. Christophe Perrot-Minot Vosne Romanée. $49.99.
2003 Geantet-Pansiot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes. $59.99.
2003 Dom. Henri Perrot-Minot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes. $44.99.
2002 Patrice Rion Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. $69.99.
2002 Dom. de L'Arlot Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forets Saint Georges. $54.99.
2002 Joseph Roty Gevrey Chambertin. $79.99.
2002 Jean-Marc Morey St. Aubin 1er Cru Les Charmois. $29.99.
2002 Dom. Darviot-Perrin Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres. $69.99.
2003 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey Chambertin. $29.99.
2003 Dom. Joblot Givry 1er Cru Clos de la Servoisine. $38.99.
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2002 Dom. Charles Audoin Marsannay Les Favieres. $19.99.
2004 Dom. Hubert Chavy Bourgogne Les Femelottes. $15.99.
2000 Dom. Caillot Meursault Clos du Cromin. $29.99.
2002 Dom. Moillard Beaune 1er Cru Greves. $29.99.
1993 Dom. Daniel Rion Vosne Romanée Les Beaux-Monts. $79.99.
2002 Moillard Pouilly Fuisse Domaine Greffet. $17.99.
2002 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Vieilles Vignes. $23.99.
2003 Geantet-Pansiot Bourgogne Pinot Fin. $19.99.
2003 Arnoux Père et Fils Savigny-les-Beaune. $22.99.

2002 Dom. de L'Arlot Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forets Saint Georges. $54.99. Light-medium ruby garnet color. Aromas of perfume and floral scents accent tht dark and light cherry and light mineral touch to the nose. Very nice weight and balance, with lots of smokey black cherry flavor, and very long lingering finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2003 Dom. Christophe Perrot-Minot Vosne Romanée. $49.99. Medium-dark ruby garnet color. With the vanilla-infused sweet dark cherry scent, this beautiful nose has almost a "new world" aroma. Rich and fleshy mouthfeel, with nice meaty textures and flavors, excellent balance, and long lingering finish. Excellent!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


2002 Patrice Rion Vosne Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots. $69.99.
Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of spiced cherry, wild strawberry, and a hint of wet earth. Slightly sweet and understated mouthfeel, elegant textures, beautiful balance and nice long finish. I might have guessed this as a high-end RRV Pinot.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


2003 Dom. Henri Perrot-Minot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes. $44.99.
Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Nose of lightly spiced black cherry, with hint of orange pekoe tea and a touch of strawberry. Full and rich in mouthfeel, excellent balance, beautiful sweet fruit, very long lingering smooth finish. Lovely!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


2003 Geantet-Pansiot Chambolle Musigny Vieilles Vignes. $59.99.
Dark ruby garnet color. Gorgeous nose of espresso-laced dark cherry, wild strawberry, and a bit of tea. Rich, slightly sweet mouthfeel, juicy and meaty in flavor and texture, with very nice acids to compliment the fruit, and nice long finish. Wow!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


2003 Geantet-Pansiot Gevrey Chambertin. $29.99.
Medium-dark ruby garnet color. Lovely nose of perfumed cherry and floral aromas. Lots of fruit and juicy acids in mouthfeel, very nice balance, though the juicy mid-palate seems to take something away from the finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


2002 Joseph Roty Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Fontenys. $79.99.
Medium ruby garnet color. Nose of cherry and tea. Seems a little less fruit-driven, with more emphasis on notes of cheese bread, orange zest, and forest floor. Smells like an older wine. Off-sweet fleshy mouthfeel, light cherry and strawberry in flavor, beautiful balance, and nice long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-


1993 Dom. Daniel Rion Vosne Romanée Les Beaux-Monts. $79.99.
Light-medium tomato garnet color. Nicely bricked in color, with a light celery scent to the warm fruit and toasty aromas. Given the color and aroma, I expected to find fading fruit - but no, instead the mouthfeel was quite fleshy and fruit vibrant, with a nice meaty taste. Very good balance, and nice long finish. Might have been best to start with this one.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+


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